Unadilla Community Farm’s Food Access Program consists of partnerships with local food pantries across Central New York to provide free nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and culinary herbs for their clients. Unadilla Community Farm is located in, and serves communities in, USDA designated low-income, low-access, urban & rural food deserts. Feedback from the food pantry partners that we work with across the region indicates that they are under increased pressure to address rising food insecurity, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, inflation, and recent SNAP cuts. Pantry partners frequently share with us that there is a lack of fresh produce available to their clients, and that some fresh produce programs that were available as a result of COVID relief funding have since dried up. By increasing the amount of high-quality fresh produce available to their clients, we can both improve nutrition for food insecure communities and reduce their family food budgets, freeing up family funds for other needs.

Throughout the growing season, we host volunteer days open to the public to come help out on the farm, learn about our farming practices, and help with our food access work. Volunteers assist with tasks like planting and harvesting and packing veggies for delivery to local food pantries in the area.